To the Point

WorldCom Bankruptcy

Even as President Bush tries to rally the confidence of investors, pointing to low inflation and interest rates, and rising productivity, WorldCom has dealt another shocking blow to America-s economy. The giant telecommunications company has just set a new record for corporate failure, a bankruptcy nearly twice that of Enron-s $ 64 billion collapse. With 20 percent of the nation-s phone business and 40 percent of the Internet, will WorldCom-s failure threaten the entire telecommunications industry? We hear what happened, what Congress had to do with it, and how bankruptcy laws may help both WorldCom and its executives come back stronger than ever, from an international telecom economic consultant, a bankruptcy expert, the CEO of one of WorldCom-s smaller competitors and political historian Kevin Philips. Newsmaker: California Auto Emissions Bill Has National Impact California Governor Gray Davis is expected to sign a bill today to limit the automobile emission of greenhouse gases, with the ostensible goal of reducing the risk of global warming. Jeff Plungis, Washington bureau automotive reporter for the Detroit News, explains how the legislation could change the cars that all Americans drive, including their SUV-s. Reporter's Notebook: Preventable Hospital Infections Becoming Deadly Epidemic Hospital staffs shouldn-t have to be reminded about hygiene. But a comprehensive study of hospitals across the US finds that the failure to wash ones hands is frighteningly common. Mike Berens, who conducted the study and documented it in a three-part series for the Chicago Tribune, found that it-s also one of the easily preventable reasons that thousands of hospital patients needlessly die from infections each year.